The Art of the K.I.S.S.

Posted on Thursday, July 1st, 2010

Written by Brad Schiller

Early in my career, I was working at a theatre as one of the house guys. We had a tour come in and use our space for pre-production. It was the first time I really got to watch a touring show prepare for the road. I remember sitting with the LD (I don’t remember his name) and watching him program the conventional lights. He also had about six moving mirror fixtures with a dedicated controller. He explained an important principle that he tries to remember as often as possible.

“The K.I.S.S. Rule helps me to keep everything in perspective and on track with limited time schedules,” he said. “It all pulls me back in to the big picture of the production.”

I asked him what this K.I.S.S. rule was, and he told me that it stands for “Keep It Simple, Stupid.”